Reactions to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer

Brandon is the Editor-in-Chief and President of Maglomaniac. He is the author of the Eat Your Serial title Ten Years Gone: Pomp and Circumstance, as well as the columns Child's Play, Nerd's Eye View, Letters to Jeremy, Irate Educator, The Audio Files, and The Dao of Ninjape, among others.

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The internet is aflame with fanboys and casual fans alike commenting on the short teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens that dropped on Friday. Instead of reacting directly, I waited to process what I saw, which admittedly isn’t much. There are many questions looming left unanswered and many more opened up by the trailer. It was a massive…well…tease. And in that sense the trailer has succeeded remarkably. That said, there is a lot to talk about even though there wasn’t much to see.

The first thing that most fans have opened their mouths about is the newest variation of the lightsaber, which appears to mimic a medieval broadsword…think Highlander.

Now, usually those hand guards on a broadsword would act to protect the hands, wrists, and arms of the wielder but as many have pointed out, the fact that the turrets come out before the light blade of the saber, it might be possible to slash through and chop off the arm of the Sith or Jedi using it. Additionally, if the fighting style employed is the highly stylized fencing method we’ve seen in the past the user would surely cut off his own arms.

EXCEPT. We don’t know how this lightsaber will be used. Famously Darth Vader and Obi Wan didn’t fight in that style, and neither did Luke and Vader. That is more an advent of the prequels (HEY HATERS) and we tend to forget that.

This straightforward style would probably keep the Jedi or Sith safe from self injury at the very least.

And we have to remember exactly how much backlash there was following Darth Maul’s double lightsabers. Now, hardcore fans can say what they want about the prequel trilogy…but two of the best things to come out of those three movies were the fight scene with Maul at the end of Phantom Menace and the music that accompanied it, Duel of the Fates.

So have a little faith a wait.

Besides, we would do well to remember that lasers in general keep on going, and lightsabers are just as fantastical as the force itself.

The other items that have been discussed are obviously set up for us to feel the awesomeness of the world Abrams is going to reimagine in the world of Star Wars. Those of us who enjoyed the reboot of Star Trek can only hope that as much detail will go into this movie, hopefully with less sunbursts. Of course we are left wondering…

Who is this guy? Why is he dressed as a Storm Trooper? Is he a Jedi? Did he just crash? Why is he on Tatooine?

Will Mos Isley win the Galaxy Cup Soccer Tournament?

And of course, that flight scene with The Millennium Falcon looks pretty bad ass. Some are arguing that the Falcon looks too new, but you know what? Go to hell. That thing looks awesome, as do the new style X-Wing Fighters–even though the extended universe was all but erased from canon, it is fair to assume that sometime in the 20 years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens Han Solo had time to have his ship painted, washed, and waxed.

Punch it Chewy!

All in, haters gonna hate, but the teaser does exactly what it sets out to do. It has built specifically to spark speculation, debate, and conversation…and in this it is incredibly successful. It leaves fans with a sense that the story did not end with Return of the Jedi…TIE fighters around, Stormtroopers abound, the battle continues and along with our interests the Force Awakens (corny!).

Now, we can only wait the remaining 13 months for the movie to drop. Dammit.

OH. And here’s the trailer just in case you’ve been living under a rock with your fingers in your ears and your eyes closed and you haven’t seen it.

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